hich, in his troubled dreams,
Oscar had floated to sea upon a small piece of ice, and, after a long
agony, foundered alone in fathomless waters--he awoke in the morning
feeling very strangely. Every few moments a cold chill ran through his
body, that made him shiver until the bed trembled beneath him. His
head ached badly, and there was also a pain in his back. He tried to
raise himself up, but his arms had lost their strength, and he was
barely able to support himself a moment upon his elbow. By-and-bye his
brothers, who slept in the same room in another bed, got up, and Oscar
informed them that he was too weak to get off the bed. They soon
called in their father and mother, who, after looking at the sick boy,
concluded to send for a physician.

After breakfast, Ralph was despatched for the doctor, who soon arrived,
and was conducted into Oscar's chamber. Seating himself upon the
bedside, he took the sick boy's wrist into his hand, and began to talk
with him very pleasantly, asking him various questions about his
feelings, the manner in which he took cold, &c. Having ascertained all
the facts and symptoms of the case, he told the family he thought Oscar
was suffering from an attack of lung fever, and he then gave directions
as to the manner in which the disease should be treated. He also wrote
a recipe for some medicine, to be procured at the apothecary's. The
terms used in it were Latin, and very much abbreviated, besides, so
that they were unintelligible to Mrs. Preston; for this is a custom
among physicians, that has come down from ancient times. Seeing Mrs.
Preston was in some doubt about the prescription, he explained to her
what the articles were that composed it, and the effect they would have
upon the patient.

After the doctor had gone, it was decided to remove Oscar into another
chamber, in a lower story, where he would be more comfortable, and
where, also, it would be more convenient to wait upon him. Wrapping
him up warmly in the bed-clothes, his father took him in his arms, and
carried him to the room he was to occupy for the present.

In spite of his medicine, Oscar continued to grow worse, through the
day. He longed for night to come, that he might go to sleep; but when
it came, it did not bring with it the refreshing slumber of health.
Short naps and troubled dreams alternated with long, weary hours of
wakefulness; and the sun, at its next rising, found him sicker than
before. The pains